Ciprian Porumbescu
Ciprian Porumbescu, born Cyprian Gołęmbiowski, (October 14 1853 – July 6 1883) was a Romanian composer born in Şipotele Sucevei in the former Austrian province of Bukovina.
Biography
He was born into the family of Iraclie Gołęmbiowski (who changed the Polish-sounding family name to its Romanian translation) an ethnic Romanian writer and Orthodox priest of possible Polish origins. He studied music in Suceava and Cernăuţi, then continued at the Konservatorium für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, under Anton Bruckner and Franz Krenn.
He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers of his time; his most popular works are the pieces Crai nou, Trei culori, Song for the 1st of May, Ballad for violin and piano, Serenada. In addition, he composed the music for Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire, which was used for Albania's national anthem, Hymni i Flamurit.
He was imprisoned by the Austrian authorities because of his political activities, and composed his major works while in confinement. He died at the age of 29 in Stupca, nowadays renamed Ciprian Porumbescu.
In spite of his early death (25th may 1883 in Stupca), Ciprian Porumbescu left an artistic legacy of more than 250 works. These pages of creation of an authentical inspiration brought him fame and popularity even while his short life, the composer having the posibility to see his work Crai Nou (New Moon) performed in Brasov (1882) while the vocal works Pe-al nostru steag (On our flag), Treiculorul (Three coloured), Cantec de primavara (Spring song), Serenada, Cantecul gintei latine (Latin nation song), La malurile Prutului (On the Prut's shores), Altarul manastirii Putna (Putna monastery's altar) were already in the public conscience. His work spreads over various forms and musical genres but with priority in choral and operetta. Despite of his early afirmation, with numerous songs taken by the ambulant liric-bands at the end of 19th century, the major weight in the catalog of his creation is represented by the chamber instrumental music, unfortunately lost in an unjust anonimate. Born at 2/14 October 1853 in the Bucovina village, Şipotele Sucevei, he studied music in Suceava with professor Ştefan Nosievici and then at Cernauti with professor Isidor Vorobchievici, he attended further courses at the Konservatorium fur Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna (1879-1881) with Anton Bruckner and Franz Krenn. Simultaneously he studied in the Philosophical Faculties of the Cernauti and Vienna Universities. His artistic career as a composer, conductor, violonist and pianist, which started during his studies in Cernauti, continued in Vienna and afterwards in Brasov (1881-1883), where he taught vocal music at Romanian Schools. Multilateral tallent,amongst hundreds of musical pieces, Ciprian Porumbescu wrote poetry, song lirycs, press articles, picked up folklore, redacted a manual for the popular schools, in other words he actively participated in the public cultural life and tried to rise the Romanian music school in an age of enthusiasm generated by the National Independence obtained in 1877. The creation of Ciprian Porumbescu reflects honest patriotism of a people which gained the right of social and national freedom, the most remarkable musical pages of the young composer being inspired by the national heroes and the former great army leaders (Stefan cel Mare, Dragos Voda). The imediate apreciation of his music came from large melodycity of his whole creation, the accesibility being assured by the folklore inspiration. Although his most popular works are the operetta Crai Nou (New Moon)- the first romanian operetta - and many of his coral songs, inspired by Romanian folklore, the major part of his output is represented by instrumental chamber music and this has been unjustly neglected. At that time he was compared by the press with Johann Strauss and even with Franz Liszt. His best known piece is the Ballad for Violin and Orchestra, full of poetic charm and nostalgia which he composed in 1880 in the course of one week. It is generally regarded as representative of "classical" Romanian violin music. The Romanian Rhapsody for piano was composed before his departure for the courses in Vienna. Finished in 1880, October 21st, the Ballad for violin and orchestra soon became not only the best known and most representative instrumental work by Ciprian Porumbescu, but a reference work in Romanian classical music of the 19th century. During one week the composer, in seclution at Stupca, meditated, drafted and then finished this piece, full of poetry and bitter nostalgia, with light and shade, a mixture of "doina", old dance and song, everything in the environment of serene melancholy. The Romanian Rhapsody for piano was composeed before Ciprian Porumbescu left for Vienna, and the orchestral version was performed for the first time in Brasov on 15th October 1882, with the composer conducting at a concert devoted to his music. The audience was deeply impressed, while the local press of the time wrote about it with enthusiasm, pathos and patriotical pride (comparisons were even made with Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies). Among the musical genres requiring a certain amplitude and skill, the operetta was then the best known and up-to-date. Full of freshness and melody, it dealt with various subjects, but most often with humour and joie de vivre. As a student at the Vienna Musical Conservatory, Porumbescu noted with great interest of the success of operettas by Strauss, Suppé, Offenbach and others. His supreme target was to replace the usual frivolity of subject-matter in fashionable operettas with a plot intended to revive old Romanian traditions and the folk legend of the New Moon - in which the new-born moon will fulfill every lover's dreams of happiness (collected and published by Vasile Alecsandri) - appeared most appropriate for the dream-like environment of the local and earnest task he had in mind. The characters have the ability to let music develop freely, in order to express what is essential in the work: the brightness and ardour of their feelings. Porumbescu expressed them with an inspired combination of local melody and rhythm - whilst on its opening night, in Brasov in 1882, with a huge one.
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